


Watercolour

by thawrecka



Category: The Lord of the Rings (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-01-01
Updated: 2004-01-01
Packaged: 2019-07-29 00:37:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16253033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thawrecka/pseuds/thawrecka
Summary: Pippin loves no one better than Merry.





	Watercolour

Merry's hair and the skin on his cheek are soft against Pippin's hand. It has always been so; even when Pippin was just a tiny lump of baby flesh, and Merry a boy too grown up to have time for him.

Pippin can't imagine life without the surety of Merry's soft skin and his quick lopsided smile. All through childhood they ran about together, through many adventures and accidents.

It seems like a dream to Pippin now - how bright the grass was and how big the world looked. His youth was painted in sunlight. The air sang with birds and was dappled with the flights of butterflies and moths.

Pippin always ran after his cousins as fast as his little legs would let him. Whenever they stopped for him he would smile and blink and hope they let him play. They almost always did.

Pippin liked Frodo better than a lot of other hobbits because he was funny and nice and didn't act too much like a grown up. He liked Merry even more because Merry did silly things with him and always held his hand when they got in trouble. The warmth of Merry's fingers between his own distracted him from each good talking to and ensured he'd suggest something just as mad soon after.

Merry always looked after Pippin, even that time he'd fallen into the Brandywine and flailed about like a sack of potatoes. Merry had stripped off his cloak and dived in to get him, dragging him back before any harm could be done. So Pippin sat, shivering and soaked through, his eyelashes stuck together, and the world shrunk to the warm cocoon of Merry's arms.

They are older now and War has changed them. Pippin has seen death and yearned for it, and the world looks both darker and smaller now.

Merry misses Frodo more than Pippin does, and so Pippin will take care of Merry, with the warmth of his naked body and his open mouth. Pippin will distract him with touches so that Merry will forget worry and pain in this time before they sleep.


End file.
